


utterly breathtaking

by nctdreammybubs



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Cos I Love Them, Developing Relationship, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, and slight mention of jeno and jaemin, cos i cant do sad endings, mark lee is utterly whipped, markhyuck, nomin, so like nomin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 13:59:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16220519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nctdreammybubs/pseuds/nctdreammybubs
Summary: mark wants nothing more than to just find something beautiful. when he least expects it, he finds something (or someone) not just beautiful, but literally breathtaking.//mark sees donghyuck for the first time and ends up snapping photos of him like a creep. not the best first impression right?





	utterly breathtaking

**Author's Note:**

> sudden inspiration! hope you like it :) sorry i'm short on time so i'll edit it soon!! i’ll prob add in the happenings of the third day! sry :(
> 
> update: edited! 8/10/18

mark works for a magazine. he travels the world, he takes pictures, pictures of beautiful things. 

mark courses through the streets of greece, his camera hanging off his neck. he doesn't really know where he is but all he can think about is how hungry he is. he'd spent the entire day walking through the city, trying to find something at least decent to take a picture of. he took pictures of anything and everything actually, as long as they were beautiful. he'd sort of given up after taking pictures of a kitten sleeping on a park bench, sighing at how the entire day hadn't really gone the way he wanted it to. he'd started the day, more hyped than ever. he had the feeling he was going to see something breathtaking today, but it was already 6pm in the evening, the sun already beginning to set.

mark pauses in his tracks to look up at the sky. he sighs and picks up his camera, aiming carefully before snapping a quick picture of the setting sun.

 _this would have to suffice_

he grumbles under his breath again, head down, looking through the photos that he'd taken today. another sigh slips through his lips, and he realises that he'd reached a pier of some sorts that was connected to one end of the city. as if on cue, he looks up and his breath hitches at the sight before him. 

_breathtaking_ is all that runs through mark's mind. his hands instinctively reaches for his camera, wanting to snap as many pictures as he can of the breathtaking view before him. 

_snap, snap, snap_

he's clicking multiple times on the button of his camera before he knows it, and all he can hear is the sound of the waves crashing in the distance, eyes focused on the sight in front of him. he holds his breath, not wanting to ever stop taking pictures. he knew people walking past probably thought he was a creep of some sorts, but he couldn't care less. not when he'd finally found something beautiful after wandering aimlessly for the entire day. it's beautiful, the sight before him.

 _he's beautiful_ , the thought runs through his head before he's able to stop it. 

mark tilts the camera in all sorts of angles, wanting nothing more than to just capture the moment. capture the boy before him. he's leaning chest against the railings, eyes closed, lips sealed. his hair flows lightly as the wind brushes against it. mark notices then that his hair is dyed many vibrant colours. theres green, blue, pink, and of course the standard brown. he has his ear pieces in, and mark can tell that the boy was definitely the type who would love a drive through the empty roads in the middle of the night, music playing in the car. 

mark captures a picture of him from behind, and before he knows it, he's almost next to the male. he captures at least 50 pictures of the males side view, and again, his breath hitches at how breathtakingly beautiful the male is. just then, as if he could feel all the stares on him, the male's eyes open, and widens in shock when he sees how close mark is. he turns to face mark, pulling off his ear pieces. 

realising that he'd been caught, mark slowly puts down the camera, letting it rest against his chest. the male raises his eyebrows as if asking for an explanation as to why he was being photographed without his consent, and by a stranger too. mark bites his lip, running a hand through his hair as he contemplates on how appropriate it would be to tell a stranger that he'd been taking pictures of him because he found the latter beautiful. 

"uhm..." the stranger only looks at him with a disinterested look, folding his arms across his chest. mark gulps and cowers slightly under his glare. he decides that maybe introducing himself would make him look less like a creep.

"uhm, i'm mark. i'm a photographer and the view was really nice, and you looked really nice, and-" mark blushes a deep red when he realises that he'd indirectly told the male that he found him attractive. he groans out loud at how weird he'd sounded, eliciting a chuckle from the other. mark looks up at the male, and for the first time he notices his features. his eyes are almost closed because the smile on his face is so wide, his nose a perfect fit for his perfect face. mark notices that he has moles on his face, and it looks very much like a certain constellation he'd read about recently. then his eyes land on the other's smile, so wide, his teeth showing, and mark wants nothing more than to just pick up his camera to capture that smile. 

"well, how do i know you're not some creep?" he raises an eyebrow teasingly at mark, which of course mark doesn't get, causing him to get all flustered.

"no i promise i'm not a creep and if you search my name up on google you can probably find some of the pictures i've taken, here, let me show yo-"

"okay, okay. i get it. i was just joking," he bursts out in laughter, and as flustered as mark was before, he felt all the panic disintegrate, the other's laughter slowing causing a smile to creep onto his face. 

"your laughter is beautiful," mark blurts out before he can stop himself, shocking not only himself, but the male before him as well. they both blush a deep red, and the other tries to lighten the mood by laughing it off.

"i don't think that's how you ask people out," he grins pointedly at mark, and it only causes the blush on mark's face to turn a deeper shade of red. but he manages to compose himself.

"how about we get to know each other?" he questions, smiling at the other. the other male pretends to think, placing his fingers on his chin playfully. he breaks into a smile, making an 'okay' sign at him. but then, his phone rings in his hand, and he picks up the call, muttering softly, leaving mark standing awkwardly opposite him. when he ends the call, he looks at mark apologetically, and mark feels his heart sinking slightly in disappointment.

"sorry, i gotta be somewhere right now. i'll see you tomorrow?" he smiles at mark, to which mark just nods, slightly pouting. the other notices mark pouting and only reaches to envelope mark in a side hug, whispering a soft "i'll see you tomorrow, mark," before he's taking off in the direction mark had came in. mark knows its his name, and he knows that its nothing special, but he doesn't deny that he'd felt a shiver run down his spine when the other had whispered his name in his ear. his hand reaches to rub softly at his red cheeks, and he slowly makes his way back to the hotel.

when he's back in the hotel, he's determined to look through the photos he'd taken for the day. however he ends up deleting every single picture except the ones of the stranger. mark can't tear his eyes off his computer screen where the picture is enlarged, zooming in once in awhile to take in the features of the male. before he knows it, sleep is taking over his system, but he doesn't fall asleep before taking one last glance at his masterpiece. 

 

the next day, mark wakes up excited. he's jumpy and he knows he's too excited for his own good. the door opens, and his friend walks in.

"jeno! come look at this," he exclaims, gesturing for jeno to come over. jeno raises and eyebrow, but doesn't question, walking over obediently to mark's bed. mark turns the computer screen towards him, and jeno almost laughs. 

"what is this?" jeno asks, wanting to know why his friend of 20 years had taken photos of someone they'd never seen in their entire life. whoever mark knew, jeno had to know. they'd known each other since they were in diapers, and this person right here, jeno had never seen him before. 

"isn't it beautiful? the picture i mean? not the boy, the picture?" mark blurts out, and jeno knows its a question for him to answer but mark sounds like he's in fact, asking himself. 

"i don't know, what do you think?" jeno questions suggestively, eyebrows raised. mark glares at his friend, and sighs, turning the computer screen back to face him. 

"who is he anyway?" mark blushes. 

"i don't know," he confesses sheepishly.

"what do you mean you don't know? don't you like, know his name or something?" jeno turns around, mouth agape, eyes wide open. then it dawns on mark that he didn't even know the other's name. 

"i...don't," he gives up trying to defend himself. jeno only shakes his head at his hopeless friend, muttering something about being 'whipped for a stranger'. mark doesn't deny it.

the day passes really slowly, but soon it's almost time for him to meet the other. he dresses up, shouting a quick "i'm going out!" to jeno's who's in the bathroom before he bolts out of the hotel room. he speeds down the streets, heart pounding loud in his chest. he reaches where he and the other had met the day before, and a frown makes its way onto his face when he realises that the other isn't here yet. this time he's the one leaning against the railing, letting the wind lightly brush against his cheeks. 

just then he hears a soft "hey," from behind him, and he whips his head around so fast, he feels slightly lightheaded. today the other male is dressed in a white dress shirt and black ripped jeans, phone in his hand and earpiece in his ears as it was yesterday. a smile makes its way onto mark's face, and he mutters a soft "hey," back to him, causing the other to smile at him.

"dinner?" mark asks, to which the other nods his head. he reaches a hand out to wrap around mark's arm, slightly dragging him because mark is too shocked at the sudden physical contact. he eyes flicker back and forth between the male and their arms which are connected, stumbling every once in a while. when they reach a cosy diner at the corner of the street, they're seated at the window. the other lets go of mark's arm to sit opposite him, and mark lets out a shaky breath, placing his palm over his chest in an attempt to calm down his wildly beating heart. the other orders what he wants, and mark doesn't really know what he wants because he wasn't really focusing on the menu. but nobody needs to know that, so he just replies with a "i'll take whatever he's taking" to the waitress waiting for his order. she nods and walks off, leaving the two of them alone. 

"so, where are you from?" the male before him asks, tilting his head slightly. 

"well, i was born in canada, but i moved to korea when i was 14," mark replies calmly, and the other's eyes widen, before a a grin appears on his face.

"i'm from korea too," he smiles, and mark lets out a gasp.

"how have i never seen you?" to which the stranger lets out a snicker.

"i know right," he smirks at mark, and mark wants nothing more than to capture a picture of that too. 

"what's your name?" mark asks the question that had been lingering on his mind ever since he'd met the other. he sees him hesitate slightly, as if unsure of his own identity.

"lee donghyuck," he replies softly. 

"donghyuck," mark repeats, the name rolling off his tongue as if it were the most natural thing on earth. mark loves the way it sounds when he says it, and before he knows it, he's losing himself in the other's eyes. donghyuck continues to chatter, but mark doesn't hear anything. all he knows is that he doesn't ever want to let donghyuck go, even if they'd just met the day before. 

"are you even listening to me?" donghyuck pouts, glaring at mark. mark shakes his head, and smiles sheepishly at donghyuck.

"...sorry." donghyuck just playfully rolls his eyes, threatening to whoop mark's ass if he doesn't listen to him again.

"so, as i was asking, how long are you staying here for?" 

"only a week," mark replies, feeling slightly upset at how he and donghyuck are probably never going to see each other again. donghyuck hums in a reply, and tells him that he's also only going to be staying for a week. mark then finds out that they were actually staying at the same hotel, and would also be taking the same flight home. 

that night, mark's the happiest he's been in days, weeks, probably months or even years. donghyuck casually throws a joke in once in a while, and mark feels natural around him. mark feels at ease, warm, and strangely, at home. 

just like any other date, theirs has to end too. (mark refuses to think of it as a date because it only causes his stomach to churn, and his heart to pick up pace.)

when they reach the lobby of their hotel, mark doesn't want to bid goodnight to donghyuck, but there's no more reason for them to stay together. after all, they did stay in different rooms, on different levels. mark frowns unconsciously, and of course donghyuck notices. he notices everything about mark, just like mark notices everything about him. he pouts and presses his finger against the creases on mark's forehead.

"stop frowning, you're ruining your handsome face," causing mark's cheeks to heat up.

"you think i'm handsome?" and now it's donghyuck's turn to blush. he opens his mouth to defend himself, but mark just chuckles at the sight of a flustered donghyuck, causing him to pout.

"you're so cute," mark whispers before he can stop himself, causing donghyuck's ears to turn red. mark feels bold for a moment, and he reaches his arms around to envelope donghyuck in a hug. donghyuck has his arms beside him, shocked when mark suddenly hugs him. his eyes blink rapidly, and mark only giggles at how cute he is. 

"did you just giggle?" donghyuck pretends to be appalled. 

"oh shut up," mark playfully rolls his eyes, arms still around donghyuck. 

"i'll see you tomorrow?" this time, donghyuck asks as he returns the hug, snaking his arms around mark's waist. mark feels himself shiver at the other's touch, and he gulps.

"i'll see you tomorrow, donghyuck," he whispers before pulling apart, a soft smile on his face. donghyuck nods and walks off in the other direction. after seeing that donghyuck is on his way, mark turns around to walk off towards his own room. he feels his heart tugging slightly, and he decides that hey, turning around to look at donghyuck one last time for the night wouldn't hurt right? 

when he turns around to sneak a glance at donghyuck, donghyuck's already staring at him, a smile playing on his lips. he waves at mark, gesturing for him to go on ahead, and mark groans slightly. not only had donghyuck caught him, his heart was about to die from the other's adorableness. 

when mark does return to his room, a grin is evident on his face. jeno only eyes him weirdly.

"whats with that stupid grin on your face?" mark doesn't answer for awhile, and silence envelopes them.

"donghyuck," mark suddenly blurts out, confusing jeno even further.

"huh?" jeno looks at mark like his friend had gone crazy. mark turns to look at jeno, a look that tells jeno he's giddy in love, smile tugging on the edge of his lips.

"his name's lee donghyuck."

 

on the third day, they meet up at the lobby before heading out to go sightseeing together. mark wakes up, his heart leaping in anticipation. gazing out the window, he takes notice that the sun is shining brightly today, no sign of rain in sight. a smile wakes its way onto his face, and he sits up straight in bed. picking up his phone, he scrolls through the itinerary that he’d spent the entire of the previous night planning. he was sure he was going to have dark circles around his eyes which definitely weren’t attractive in any way, but nothing mattered to him as long as donghyuck enjoyed himself. 

he’d planned to take donghyuck to the carnival just a short walk away from the pier. if things went perfectly, he’d take donghyuck out for dinner too, then maybe sneak in a few surprises here and there. he closed his eyes, resting his phone on his chest when his heart swells in happiness. he decides to dress himself in a black tshit and his white ripped jeans, not forgetting to grab his camera before heading out. 

mark hums to himself, walking at a pace that is definitely faster than his usual pace. when he arrives at the pier, he sees a familiar back. running over, he snakes his arms around donghyuck's waist, and donghyuck gasps, about to slap his attacker across the face when he realises its mark. he rolls his eyes and the corners of his lips turn up. mark wasn't one to actively engage in skinship but at this point in time, he thought he'd made it pretty obvious that he was interested in donghyuck already. donghyuck's dressed in a pink hoodie and white ripped jeans, just like mark. he takes in the sight of donghyuck, pushing his camera to the side to close the space between their bodies. 

"mark, you scared me," donghyuck chuckled, lifting to place his palm on top of mark's arms that are resting on his waist. 

"oops, sorry," mark whispers, but he knows he doesn't feel sorry at all. and to make sure that donghyuck knew as well, he tightened his hold around the latter's waist. donghyuck only laughs at how clingy mark is. when they pull apart, mark suddenly feels the embarrassment creeping up on him, and he coughs awkwardly. 

"let's go?" he gestures towards the direction they're supposed to head in, and donghyuck nods, flashing mark a toothy smile. mark feels a smile slipping onto his face unconsciously. 

there aren't many people at the carnival, and mark's thankful for that. he just wants to spend time alone with donghyuck without being completely alone. his nose scrunches at the thought of how ironic it is. they go on several rides, trying out even the roller coasters that mark detests to the core (but donghyuck loves, and the whole world knows he can never refuse donghyuck). when he gets off the ride, is face is as white as a sheet of paper, and he feels his breakfast just about to come out of his stomach while donghyuck doubles over in laughter at his state. for some reason, listening to donghyuck's laughter calms the churning of his insides, and he's able to regain his composure before donghyuck drags him off onto another roller coaster, the entire cycle repeating again. 

"thanks for today, mark. i haven't had this much fun in a really long time," donghyuck grins at mark, who's just about to collapse on the floor. instead they both collapse onto a bench next to them. the sun was already setting. they'd taken all the rides, even ate dinner, and mark refused to acknowledge that their date was going to come to an end soon. mark's eyes are closed, and he hears donghyuck shifting, but what he doesn't expect is for donghyuck to rest his head on his shoulder. his eyes shoot open, and a blush makes its way onto his face. 

"y-you're welcome," he stutters out. his arms instinctively reach around donghyuck's shoulders to pull the male closer to his body, and donghyuck doesn't resist it, snuggling into mark's side. they stay like this for a good amount of time, and neither of them complain. donghyuck takes in the scent of mark, wanting nothing more than to commit it to his memory. mark runs his fingers through donghyuck's hair, stopping once in a while to twirl some strands of the latter's hair around his finger. a blissful sigh escapes donghyuck's lips, and mark's smile widens. 

"hyuck, do you have a boyfriend?" mark asks softly, not wanting to scare the latter with his questions. his face twists into one of confusion when he sees donghyuck's eyes open wide, and he feels donghyuck go stiff in his arms. panic runs through his system when he sees donghyuck hesitating, opening his mouth but an answer never coming out. 

"i...no," donghyuck finally answers, and as much as mark's brain tells him that it doesn't make sense for donghyuck to be hesitating this much, his heart tells him that its fine to trust donghyuck. 

"that's good," mark lets out the breath he never realised he was holding, and nuzzles his head into donghyuck's hair.

donghyuck gulps, unable to reply to mark. he feels as if he's let someone down, but he doesn't know who exactly. his brain tells him that if he wants mark to stay by his side, he shouldn't be honest. his heart tells him that if he doesn't want to let mark down, he should be honest. he contemplates, and it's definitely the hardest decision he'd probably ever had to make in his life. telling mark would potentially ruin their relationship, but if he didn't tell mark, he didn't think he would be able to live with it.

"mark i-" his phone starts vibrating in his pocket, signalling that he'd received more than 10 texts at the same time, probably due to the poor connection. mark only tilts his head to the side when donghyuck pulls away, taking out his phone from the pocket of his hoodie. he notices donghyuck turn away from him as if he didn't want him to see who was texting him, and mark leans forward slightly out of curiosity. his eyes land on the name 'yukhei' but donghyuck locks his phone before mark can make out what it is they're talking about.

"who's yukhei?" he blurts out, the name slightly triggering his possessive side even though he knows him and donghyuck aren't official, yet. 

"...a friend," donghyuck lets out after a few seconds of silence, and mark's rational side tells him donghyuck is acting suspicious. but he doesn't want to suspect him, his feelings getting the better of him. 

"mark i..." donghyuck trails off, causing mark to raise his eyebrows in concern. donghyuck looks up at mark's face, wanting nothing but to be honest, but when he sees the smile on mark's face, his lips seal shut. 

"yeah?" 

"...nothing. it's getting late, i'm kind of tired right now, can we go back?" donghyuck smiles weakly at mark, and mark's face twists into one of concern at the other's sudden tired state. 

"you okay?" he reaches out to cup donghyuck's cheek, and donghyuck leans into his touch.

"yup, just tired," donghyuck stands up, gesturing for mark to follow him. 

so the date ends earlier than mark had wanted it to, and he sulks the entire way back. but he throws in a few casual jokes and comments here and there, hoping to lift donghyuck's mood. said boy however remains quiet, only chuckling once in awhile to humour mark. when mark goes quiet, donghyuck finally realises how much he wants to hear mark's voice. but he's thinking about too much, so all he does is reach for mark's hand, intertwining their fingers. mark's breath hitches in his throat, and his eyes flicker back and forth between donghyuck's face and their intertwined hands. he doesn't know if he likes it or not, because it causes his heart to beat at an inhumane pace. he places a hand on his chest, attempting to calm down his rapidly beating heart, and donghyuck chuckles slightly.

"why're you laughing at me?" a pout makes its way onto mark's face, and donghyuck laughs.

"because you're cute," donghyuck answers, throwing a grin in mark's direction. mark groans out loud in response, causing a hearty laughter to escape donghyuck's lips.

when they reach the hotel, mark can't hide the sinking feeling in his stomach anymore. 

"do you have to go?" mark whispers softly, pout still on his face. donghyuck's heart softens and he very much wants to say no, he doesn't want to leave, but he needed time to himself. he needed time to think. 

"yeah, i'm sorry," he mutters under his breath, tightening his hold around mark's hand. mark only grips back, not wanting to let donghyuck's hand go. they stare deep into each others eyes, and mark knows if he doesn't look away soon, he'll probably end up doing something really embarrassing. but he just can't tear his eyes away from the other, eyes searching deep in donghyuck's for any form of mutual feelings. donghyuck looks back at him with the same amount of adoration and warmth, everything falls into place, everything feels right. mark's right hand reaches up to cup donghyuck's cheek, and he rubs his fingers across it affectionately. donghyuck's unable to breathe for a moment, brain still processing the fact that mark was actually caressing his cheek. he rests his head on mark's palm, and he doesn't want mark to pull his hand away. he knows its wrong, but he at this point, all he can think of is mark, mark, and mark. 

_i want him_ , his heart whispers to him, and he leans in towards mark, his eyes fluttering shut as he captures mark's lips with his own. mark's eyes shut instinctively, and he rests his free hand on donghyuck's waist, gripping it slightly. donghyuck melts into the kiss, a blissful sigh escaping his lips when he feels mark's hands at his waist. he pushes himself closer to mark, deepening the kiss when mark gasps at how close donghyuck is. but then donghyuck's lips pressing against his breaks his train of thoughts, and he relaxes into the kiss, smiling as he pulls the latter closer to him. it wasn't the first time mark had kissed someone, but donghyuck made it feel like a whole new experience, nothing like he's ever felt before. his heart hammers noisily in his chest, and donghyuck pulls apart first, soft pants leaving his lips. mark looks at the male before him through half lidded eyes, not missing the way donghyuck looks at him with love evident in his eyes. he leans in to peck a dazed donghyuck on the forehead.

"you leave first," he whispers softly, not actually wanting the other to leave. donghyuck gulps and nods. he removes himself from mark's embrace, turning slowly to head back to his room. mark doesn't turn to leave, instead staring as donghyuck slowly but surely walks further and further away from him. but donghyuck isn't more than 10 steps away when he suddenly stops in his tracks. mark tilts his head, slightly confused. before his thoughts can run wild in his head, donghyuck spins around to come face to face with mark again, and runs back over to where mark is standing. before mark can question him, he lifts his head up slightly to peck mark's lips. before mark can process what is happening, donghyuck has turned around, running off in the opposite direction, an evident blush on his face. 

mark's fingers come up to lightly touch his lips, and a smile makes its way onto his face. he goes back to the room, thoughts of donghyuck taking up every inch and corner of his mind. jeno knows better than to ask him because he doesn't want to involve himself with mark's sappy, romantic life. 

mark gazes out the window, seeing how the street lights are dim, as if telling him that he shouldn't have been awake at that time. but how was he supposed to fall asleep when donghyuck had indirectly confessed his attraction? however, he does fall asleep anyway, giving in to the temptation to close his eyes. soft snores escape his mouth, and before he enters his dreams, an image of donghyuck smiling flashes across his mind.

however, on the fourth day, donghyuck doesn't turn up at their usual time in the morning, and mark's eyebrows furrow in confusion. 

_maybe he's at the pier_ , he thinks to himself, so he jogs over to the pier. his heart sinks when he doesn't see donghyuck in their usual place, and he frowns. taking a seat on a bench nearby, he decides to just wait for donghyuck to arrive. surely if donghyuck didn't see him at the hotel, he would eventually come here, right?

time passes and for some reason, that day, donghyuck didn't turn up. mark glances at his watch wrapped around his wrist. its already 9pm, and donghyuck is still no where in sight. he hears his stomach rumble lowly, and he decides that he's waited enough. he walks aimlessly down the streets and before he knows it, he's at the diner where he and donghyuck had their first meal together. he pouts at the fact that he's alone today, and he makes his way in sulkily. when he sits down, he sees the same waitress making her way over.

"alone today?" mark only nods, unwilling to actually interact with anyone at the moment. 

"the same?" once again, he nods, and the waitress takes that as her cue to leave.

when the food arrives, memories of him and donghyuck on their first date (now that he thought about it, he loved the idea of it being a date) flash through his mind, and he sulks even more, wishing nothing more than for donghyuck to be here with him at this moment. 

when he arrives back his hotel room, jeno is on the phone, probably talking to his boyfriend, jaemin. mark speeds past jeno's inquisitive eyes, grabbing his clothes before locking himself in the bathroom. he doesn't feel like talking to anyone, not unless they were donghyuck, the one and only person he wanted to see at the moment. 

jeno mutters a soft "mark's being weird" before he continues his conversation with jaemin. he decides to wait for mark to come out of the bathroom before questioning his friend, but when mark does come out of the bathroom, jeno's already lost to the temptation of sleep. mark trudges to his bed, plopping himself face first in the pillow, wanting nothing more than for the bed to swallow his entire being. all sorts of thoughts ran through his mind.

_why hadn't donghyuck turned up? was he getting sick and tired of him already? did something happen to him?_

for the entire night, mark is unable to fall asleep, the only thought, or person, on his mind being the boy with a smile as bright as the sun. 

 

mark's eyes open slowly, adjusting to the light shining through the curtains. he doesn't know when he'd fallen asleep, but the pang in his heart doesn't go away no matter what. he rubs at his eyes tiredly, sitting up only to see jeno eating breakfast at the table. 

"you're finally up huh, come eat," jeno gestures for mark to come over. mark walks over to the bathroom to wash up before he plants himself on the seat opposite of jeno. he stares out the window listlessly, and jeno furrows his eyebrows.

"what happened?" no reply.

"mark, what happened?" mark finally turns to look at him, and jeno notices the panic in mark's eyes.

"i-", mark takes a deep breath, " donghyuck didn't turn up yesterday," he manages to whisper out. jeno's gaze softens.

"mark, do you have his number?" mark shakes his head.

"his room number?" mark shakes his head again. 

"who he came with?" mark only shakes his head, once again.

"do you see my point mark?" mark's head whips up to look at his friend, confusion lacing his eyes.

"what do you mean?" mark whispers softly, head refusing to acknowledge that he actually knew what jeno meant.

"what i'm trying to say, is that you know nothing about this boy. all you know is that his name's lee donghyuck and that he lives in korea. who knows how many lee donghyucks there are out there? who knows if he even gave you his real name?" then the image of donghyuck hesitating when mark had asked for his name flashes across mark's mind, and reality starts to sink in. but he just remains silent, refusing to admit that jeno had a point. 

"mark, i'm saying this for your own good," jeno says softly, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings. mark only nods, but he feels his eyes tearing up. jeno had a point. who was he to claim that he knew donghyuck when he didn't actually know anything about him? who was he to feel upset over someone who he'd just met 4 days ago? 

the two ate breakfast in silence, and when mark is done, he heads out in his sweatpants and hoodie, not bothering to dress himself up like he had the previous days. (deep down he knows he only wanted to impress donghyuck but there was no way he was going to admit that.) as he makes his way down the so familiar yet still unfamiliar streets, the ones that held memories of him and donghyuck for the past few days, his heart clenches tightly in his chest and he wants nothing more than to turn back time. from the corner of his eyes, he spots a necklace hanging off a shelf, in the shape of a sun. before he's able to tell himself to make a rational decision, he's pulling money out of his wallet, and in no time, the necklace is in his palm. he groans inwardly. of course he had to go ahead and buy something that would remind him of donghyuck. it was cheap, nothing expensive, and he knew that nobody would care if he had thrown it away. but he cared. so he didn't throw it into the trash bin that was conveniently next to him.

mark walks aimlessly down the streets, head down as he stares at the silver necklace sitting in his palm. light reflects off it, and his mind wanders to the boy, the one which tanned skin, the one whose laughter is so contagious it makes mark laugh even when he remembers the deadline he has for the photos be in, the one whose smile makes a smile creep onto mark's face. tears begin to well up in mark's eyes, and he brings his hand up to wipe at it furiously. he feels people staring at him as they walk past him, but he couldn't care less. 

when he finally reaches the end of the street, he looks up. his eyes widen at the sight before him. his feet had unconsciously brought him to his and donghyuck's pier, the exact spot where they met for the first time. and there in all his glory, was lee donghyuck, the one male who'd taken up a good portion of mark's mind (and his heart). donghyuck is standing once again, against the railing, earpieces tugged into his ears. mark can't see his face, but he knows its donghyuck. even with blurry vision as the tears threaten to spill again, he knows with all his heart, its donghyuck.

mark feels his heart beat twice as fast, and he's just about to make his way over to the other when he sees donghyuck's shoulders shaking. he then realises how donghyuck is letting out quiet sobs, and he's already making his way over before he knows it. his arms circle around donghyuck's chest, and donghyuck lets out a surprised gasp. when he smells the all too familiar scent that he'd gotten used to over the past few days, he relaxes and leans back into mark's hold. mark feels warmth envelope his heart, and he nuzzles his face into donghyuck's hair. donghyuck doesn't move away, only lets himself find comfort in mark's arms. donghyuck felt at warm, loved, wanted. he felt at home. 

"why were you crying?" mark lets out a shaky breath, not wanting his voice to give away his emotions. donghyuck gulps, letting another tear slip down his face. he pulls mark's arm away, causing mark's face to twist into one of confusion. 

"mark, i haven't been completely honest with you," he starts off to which mark only feels a churning in his stomach. he nod, motioning for donghyuck to continue. 

"i have a fiance," donghyuck lets out a whisper, voice so soft and vulnerable. mark feels as if the entire world had turned on him. his eyes turn emotionless, which scares donghyuck because he's never seen mark like that. donghyuck notices how mark's jaw tightens, and he feels tears running down his face again. 

mark doesn't know how to feel, what to feel. how was he supposed to react when the boy who he'd spent an almost an entire week with, the boy he was sure he'd developed feelings for, the boy he was sure he wanted to spend his entire life with, told him that he had a fiance? mark felt cheated, and at that moment all he saw was red. then a name pops into his head, and he's unable to control the anger that courses through his body.

"is it yukhei?" donghyuck slowly nods, unsure of how mark would react. mark should have known. he should have trusted his brain, he should have trusted his rational side which would have told him that it was a better idea to stay away from a boy he'd met in a foreign land. but he couldn't help it, couldn't help hopelessly falling in love with donghyuck.

"so you thought it would be a good idea to lead me on?" mark's voice slowly gets louder, his words dripping with hate, resentment. donghyuck cowers at the other's voice and whimpers slightly. his eyes begin to sting with tears, and mark's heart softens slightly but the fact that donghyuck had lied to him was still a fact. it wasn't something that could be changed. donghyuck knows he's at fault, he always is. he thought he was prepared to let mark lash out at him, maybe even beat him up (although he knew mark would never do that), but the way his heart hurt in his chest, as if it were being twisted, wringed, stabbed, that he was not prepared for. he knows he's at fault, but he also knows that mark deserves an explanation.

"we've been fighting a lot the past year, and we both thought it would be good for us to take a break. that's why i'm here. but mark i swear, my feelings for you are honest," donghyuck looks desperately at mark, eyes searching for the warmth which mark always had in his eyes. but he only saw coldness, emptiness, in mark's eyes. 

"would you leave him for me?" mark says monotonously, more of a statement than a question to prove his point. donghyuck doesn't reply, of course, just like he expected. there was no way he would give up a perfect relationship for him. mark wanted nothing more than to punch a wall right at that moment, but there was no wall around, so he punched the railing. 

"fuck!," he lets out, unaware of the panic in donghyuck's eyes. donghyuck sees that mark's knuckles are red, bleeding even, blood trickling down. he immediately reaches for mark's hand.

"mark, you're bleedi-"

"don't fucking touch me," mark hisses out, venom lacing his words as he draws his hand back with so much force it sends donghyuck stumbling.

"mark, please," donghyuck pleads, tears cascading down his cheeks. 

"i love you, mark," he lets out a shaky breath, voice disappearing towards the end as it's replaced by sobs leaving his mouth.

for a moment, mark almost loses his composure. he almost give in to the temptation to take donghyuck in his arms, he almost forgets that _he's_ the third party here. his gaze softens slightly, but he stands his ground.

"donghyuck, you can't just make me fall for you and tell me you have a fiance. i'll ask you one last time. would you leave him for me?" mark asks, slightly hopeful. he won't deny that he wants donghyuck to say yes, to leave his fiance for him, to jump into his arms. but donghyuck doesn't reply. 

they stand in silence, and mark can't take it anymore.

"see? you can't even tell me you'll leave him for me, and you dare," he pauses to look up at donghyuck, eyeing the male through his blurry eyes, "you dare say you love me?" 

donghyuck only lets more whimpers out of his mouth. he knows he can't give mark an answer. he knows he doesn't deserve mark, not when he played him like this. mark sighs, shaking his head as tears spill out of his eyes. he reaches into the pocket of his hoodie, taking out the necklace he'd bought earlier. he forces donghyuck's palm open, placing the necklace in it before pushing it towards the other. 

"i saw it earlier, reminded me of you. it's been great knowing you, donghyuck. i wouldn't trade it for the world, really," he lets out a bitter chuckle, running his fingers through his hair, tugging at them slightly out of frustration.

"goodbye, donghyuck," he whispers, before he's walking off in the direction that he'd come from. he walks off before donghyuck can say anything. he misses the way donghyuck crumbles to the floor, fists tightly clenching the necklace, crying out loud, heart breaking into a million pieces.

 

mark doesn't arrive back at the hotel until late at night. he'd gone drinking all by himself at some unknown bar, wanting to just drown his sorrows. of course the bartender complied, having had his fair share of seeing heartbroken strangers. when he does return though, jeno is standing at the door, a look of worry on his face. his nose scrunches when he smells the alcohol on mark. he helps mark to the bed, before heading to the bathroom to get a wet towel. when he returns, mark is groaning, mumbling to himself.

"mark, why did you get yourself drunk?" mark mumbles something in reply, but jeno can't hear.

"what?"

"i saw donghyuck today!" mark breaks into a silly grin, a drunk smile. 

"then shouldn't you be happy?" jeno tilts his head questioningly, curious as to why his friend had gotten himself dead drunk. mark doesn't reply for a moment, but when he does, he lets out choked sobs.

"jeno, h-he," mark turns to look at jeno in the eyes, tears already spilling out, "he's engaged."

jeno's mouth forms an 'o' shape, and his face twists into one of utter disappointment.

"mark, what did i-"

"please don't, it hurts enough," mark chokes out. jeno sighs.

"he said he wasn't being completely honest. then he said he had a fiance, and when i asked him if he would leave his fiance for me, he couldn't reply. he couldn't reply, jeno. then he said he loved me, and i," he pauses to let out a whimper,

"i love him too."

jeno doesn't say anything, letting mark continue his rant, watching as his friend broke down. he watched mark leave behind his usual strong front, the person before him so very vulnerable. 

"jeno, i love him, i love donghyuck," mark continues to repeat in his drunken state, tears rushing down his cheeks, staining the bedsheets.

 

when mark wakes up, he doesn't remember when he'd fallen asleep. he looks down and notices how he's still in the clothes he was in before, sweatpants and hoodie. he feels dry tear streaks on his face, and the pain in his heart returns. he notices that jeno is currently out, and sees a note on the table.

 _i'll be right back_

mark looks around the hotel room. he feels trapped, suffocated. he wants to leave. so he picks himself off the couch. when he does reach the lobby, he's stunned. he doesn't know where to go because no matter which corner he turns, which street he goes down, all he can think of is donghyuck. so he ends up catching a movie at the local theatre (some lame ass sappy romantic movie that only reminds him even more of donghyuck), lunch at some unknown diner, before he realises that he's pretty much walked the entire neighbourhood. the sun has already set, and he glances at his watch. it glares back at him, reading "2200". his heart longed to be at one place, with one person. but he knows it wouldn't do him any good to be there, to be with him. donghyuck had pretty much made it clear that he wouldn't leave his fiance for him, and he didn't want to be reminded of that fact. but his stubborn feet still end up bringing him to the pier where he'd hoped to leave behind everything that reminded him of donghyuck. but of course it doesn't happen. not when the one boy taking up all the space in his mind is standing there again.

mark wants to turn around, he knows he should, but his feet are glued to the ground. as if on cue, donghyuck turns around, and his eyes widen when he sees mark. mark notices how his eyes are red and puffy, how his hair is disheveled as if he'd been pulling at it out of frustration, and of course, how he's wearing the necklace mark had gotten him. donghyuck runs over to mark, tackling him to the ground. mark's sat on the floor with donghyuck buried in his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around mark's waist. mark is unsure of how to respond, but he thinks _fuck rationality_ when donghyuck lets soft sobs escape his lips, and he too wraps his arms around donghyuck. this only causes donghyuck to cry harder, to which mark only soothingly runs his hand up and down the other's back in an attempt to calm him.

when donghyuck does calm down, he is cuddled up against mark's chest, the latter's arms wrapped around him protectively.

"why did you come back?" mark asks, voice soft unlike how it was the day before.

"mark," donghyuck calls out, to which the other only hums in response.

"i called it off," he whispers out, and mark's breath hitches.

"you what?" he pulls apart to hold donghyuck at arms length.

"i called off the engagement," donghyuck chokes out, and mark wants to jump for joy. his heart picks up pace, and he feels happy. his eyes begin to fill with tears, and only brings donghyuck back into an embrace, nuzzling his face into donghyuck's soft hair. when they pull apart, donghyuck recognises the look of warmth and love in mark's eyes. mark gazes lovingly into donghyuck's eyes, running his fingers through the other's hair. donghyuck only leans into his touch. 

mark feels something pulling him towards donghyuck, and he slowly leans in. his eyes flicker back and forth between donghyuck's eyes and his lips, donghyuck's heart begins to hammer loudly in its place, he knows mark can probably hear it, but he doesn't care. when donghyuck feels mark's breathe on his lips, he looks up at mark only to see mark with a look in his eyes as if asking for permission. of course, donghyuck nods, and mark leans forward to close the remaining gap between them. his lips linger on donghyuck's for a good while, and they remain like that, just enjoying the feeling of the other's lips on theirs. mark feels his stomach churning, heart palpitating, and donghyuck is sure his heart's about to burst out of his chest. when mark traces his tongue across the other's lower lip, donghyuck lets out a soft moan, allowing for mark's tongue to enter. he reaches his arm out to hook it around mark's neck, running his fingers through the latter's hair, letting out a sigh. mark places his palm behind donghyuck's neck, the other on the latter's waist, tugging donghyuck closer to him. donghyuck deepens the kiss, biting slightly on mark's lip, causing him to groan. when they pull apart, their lips and red and swollen, and they're panting hard. mark pulls donghyuck closer towards him, circling his arms around the latter's waist. 

they look each other in the eye, and mark knows for sure he never wants to let donghyuck go.

"hyuck, i love you," he whispers softly. donghyuck tugs at his hand slightly.

"i love you too, mark," he smiles at mark, and mark just wants to combust on the spot. he takes donghyuck's hand in his, and they cuddle under the stars.

 

when mark sends donghyuck back the hotel, he doesn't want to let donghyuck go, but he knows he needs to explain things to jeno. he pecks donghyuck on the forehead and on the lips before muttering a soft, "i'll see you tomorrow", to which donghyuck only nods and pouts before walking off in the direction of his room. 

again when he returns, jeno is standing at the door, his eyebrows raised at mark. mark gulps and tells jeno to take a seat before he starts explaining. jeno only smiles at what mark says before saying that he wants to meet donghyuck the next day.

and sure enough the next day, they do meet. mark notices the way donghyuck and jeno click like they were long lost friends, and he's glad that jeno looked past the fact that donghyuck had hurt his best friend. when jeno says he needs to leave to settle some things, they go up to donghyuck's room, where they cuddle for pretty much the entire day. mark has donghyuck cuddled against hi, his own arms wrapped around the other's waist protectively. mark feels bliss course through his entire system, and he tugs the younger closer to him. donghyuck turns to plant a kiss on mark's face, lips lingering for a few seconds. he trails kisses down mark's face to his jawline, down to his neck. mark lifts donghyuck up slightly, and donghyuck ends up in mark's lap. a groan escapes his mouth when donghyuck sucks lightly at his neck. donghyuck pulls away to look at his masterpiece, sighing in satisfaction. he leans down to rest his head against mark's chest, and a smile makes its way onto his face when he hears the latter's heart beating rapidly. mark only sighs at his adorable boyfriend, fingers playing with his hair. that night, mark ends up sleeping in donghyuck's room because the latter refused to be apart before they had to leave for korea.

mark isn't surprised when he ends up getting a seat next to donghyuck on the plane the next day, and he feels a smile tugging on his lips. his camera that had been put away was hanging around his neck again, and he grins when donghyuck excitedly drags him throughout the airport, claiming something about wanting to find some food because he was starving. of course, jeno leaves them be, not wanting to be the third party. 

on the plane, donghyuck doesn't let go of mark's arm throughout the entire plane ride. when his eyes flutter shut, he rests his head on mark's shoulder's. mark glances at the younger, warmth seeping through his entire being when he hears soft snores escaping donghyuck's slightly opened mouth. he leans down to peck at his lips, causing donghyuck to groan and shift about, but his head never leaves mark's shoulder. mark only chuckles at the sight before he whips out his camera, taking a picture of donghyuck from an awkward angle. 

"so beautiful," he mutters to nobody in particular as his fingers trail down donghyuck's jaw before he cups his cheek. donghyuck leans into his touch, causing mark to chuckle again.

 

fast forward 5 years into their relationship, mark is struggling to take a family photo. 

"coco! stop moving!" he hears donghyuck whine at their dog, coco. coco was a new addition to the family, and donghyuck had insisted on taking a 'family portrait' claiming it was mark's forte and all. of course mark wouldn't say no to donghyuck, and now here he is struggling to take a photo with his fiance who was struggling to control an overly hyper puppy. 

mark presses the timer, and he sees the timer start counting down from 10 seconds.

_10_ , mark leaves the camera, jogging over to the couch where donghyuck is sat with coco in his lap.

_9_ , he settles down next to donghyuck.

_8_ , he runs his fingers through his own hair, trying to straighten it out.

_7_ , he looks over at donghyuck who is looking at him with a desperate look in his eyes.

_6_ , donghyuck whines.

_5_ , "coco, please."

_4_ , mark takes in the sight of his boyfriend in his hoodie in front of him, eyes trailing down to the latter's lips.

_3_ , mark leans forward to cup donghyuck's cheeks, causing the latter to blush slightly at the sudden physical contact.

_2_ , coco stops attempting to jump out of donghyuck's arms.

_1_ , mark leans forward to take donghyuck's lips in his own, hands caressing donghyuck's cheeks affectionately.

_snap_

**Author's Note:**

> thnx for reading!! hope you liked it:)


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